Smriti Mandhana rated India's maiden Women's World Cup triumph seven out of 10 as the vice-captain felt that the Women in Blue have some serious areas to improve. Having been a part of two ODI World Cup finals before, the 2025 edition was India's biggest chance considering that fact it was happening at home.
Although Harmanpreet Kaur's side started with two wins, their campaign went off track with three consecutive losses against Australia, England and South Africa. However, a terrific turnaround ensured India script history on home soil, just like MS Dhoni's men did in 2011.
With another World Cup next year (T20), Mandhana stated the current batch of players is a work in progress and cautioned against living on too much on their 2025 triumph. “We've had times when we could have won matches, but we couldn't this year," Mandhana told BCCI.tv.
"And again, this team being this young, we are always a work in progress. There's going to be a World Cup, but it's a work in progress. If you keep thinking about the World Cup, the next one won't come. If I had to review it more critically, I would give it 7 out of 10. We have many areas to improve as a team,” added the southpaw.
With the likes of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami retired, the onus was completely on Mandhana and Harmanpreet - the super seniors at the moment in Indian women's cricket.
Why Smriti Mandhana gave 7 out of 10?
Despite India's historic ODI World Cup win, there were several loopholes that nearly cost the Women in Blue during the group stages with ‘poor fielding’ being one of the major areas of concern.
Notably, Australian captain Alyssa Healy went on to score 142 in the group stage clash against India after being dropped on 12. The Indians dropped Healy once again in the semifinals, before a Jemimah Rodrigues masterclass saved the hosts.
If statistics are to be believed, India dropped an astonishing 18 catches during the whole tournament. Not just fielding, India were heavily reliant on their top order during the initial stages of the tournament, which were visible against the lower-ranked teams like Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
India's struggle against left-arm spin and psychological clutch factor also played a huge role.
What's next for Indian women's team?
Following the triumph, India returned to action in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, dishing out a much-improved show. The Harmanpreet-led side have already won the first four games in the series with the fifth and final to be played on Tuesday.
Along with the men's, the Indian women's team will also play in the T20 World Cup, slated to be played in the United Kingdom around June.